Article of furniture



Jan. 22, 1963 F. WILSON 3,074,771

ARTICLE OF FURNITURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15,1961

a lA/VENTQR FOREST W/LSON A T TORNEYS Jan. 22, 1963 F. WILSON 3,074,771

ARTICLE OF FURNITURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 15, 1961 //VVE/V7'0RFOREST WILSON 3,674,771 ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Forest Wilson, R0. Box 6,Medinah, Ill. Filed June 15, 1961, Ser. No. 117,213 3 Claims. '(Cl.311-109) This invention relates to articles of furniture, and moreparticularly to tables and the like, and to the supporting leg structuretherefor.

Prior supporting legs for tables and the like have generally requiredlegs for different table designs to be differently styled anddimensioned, thereby requiring the manufacturer of the furniture to makeand stock a large number of component parts for the furniture. Moreover,such prior furniture legs have not wholly been satisfactory forsupporting glass top tables and the like because of the difficulty offastening the glass table top to the legs. These diflicultiescontributed to the instability of the table leg. Moreover, in order toprovide a table that is favorably priced on the market, it is desirablethat the table leg be readily and economically manufactured.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved supporting leg structure for an article of furniture whichovercomes the aforementioned difficulties.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedsupporting leg structure for an article of furniture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedsupporting leg structure for an article of furniture which is strong,stable, and economical to manufacture and stock, and which is readilyadaptable to support glass and similar table tops.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds and the features of novelty whichcharacterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in theclaims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

Briefly stated, according to the present invention, there is provided asupporting structure for a piece of furniture such as a table or thelike and formed of at least three interwoven stacked legs, each of whichcrosses under an adjacent one of the legs at intermediate pointsthereon, and crosses .over another adjacent one of the legs at anotherintermediate point therealong spaced from the first intermediate point.One preferred furniture leg is formed with a rectangular cross sectionof uniform width and decreasing depth from an intermediate pointoutwardly toward its ends, and the legs are formed longitudinally with apair of large radius reverse bends defining a slightly S-shaped leg.When the legs are interwoven, the longitudinal axis of the legs assumesan inclined position relative to the horizontal.

The legs are provided with vertically extending aligned bolt holes atthe points where they cross each other and the legs at these points arejoined by a bolt extending through both of the legs. A spherical washeris positioned on the bolt between the intersecting legs to provide abearing surface for the legs.

The nature of the invention will best be understood when described inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a glass top table incorporating thesupporting leg structure according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the supporting leg structure ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the supporting leg structure of FIG. 2, butdrawn to a smaller scale;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the supporting leg structureof FIG. 2, taken along line 4-4 thereof and drawn to a larger scale;

3,974,771 Patented Jan. 22, 1963 FIG. 5 is a perspective view of amodified glass top table employing a supporting leg structure accordingto the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a glass top table including a supportingleg structure according to yet another embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4 thereof,there is illustrated an article of furniture, here shown as a table 10,having a somewhat triangular freeform table top 11 formed of glass andcarried by a supporting leg structure 12, according to the presentinvention. The leg structure 12 includes three interwoven stacked legs13, individually referenced as 13a, 13b, and 130. As herein illustrated,each of the legs 13 is identical and therefore only one leg thereof isdescribed in detail. However, it is to be understood that the legs 13,if desired, need not be identical, and, for example, one of the legsthereof may be longer than the others. As best illustrated in FIG. 3,each of the legs 13 crosses under an adjacent one of the legs atintermediate points identified as A, B, and C, and cross over anotheradjacent one .of the legs at an intermediate one of the points A, B, andC spaced from the first intermediate point; that is, leg 13a crossesunder leg 13c at the intermediate point B and crosses over leg 1312 atthe point C intermediate the ends of leg 13a and spaced from the pointB. Similarly, leg 1% crosses under leg 13a at the point C intermediatethe length of the leg 13a and 13b and leg 13b crosses over leg 13c atthe point A intermediate the length of the leg 13b and spaced from thepoint C; leg 13c crosses under leg 13!) at the point A intermediate thelength of the leg 13c and crosses over the leg 13a at the point Bintermediate the leg 13c and spaced from the point A.

Referring now to the furniture legs 13, as best illustrated in FIGS. 2and 4, only the leg 13:; will herein be described in detail since thelegs 13b and are identical thereto. The leg 13a is formed of anelongated wooden member having a generally raotangular cross section ofuniform width and decreasing depth from an intermediate point outwardlytoward its ends. The leg 13a is provided with a pair of large radiusbends 14 and 15 so that the upper end thereof curves upwardly and thelower end thereof curves downwardly; the reverse bends 14 and 15defining a slightly S-shaped leg. A metal glider 16 is carried at thelower end of the leg 13;: and a resilient glider or bumper '17 of rubberor similar material is carried at the upper end of the leg 13a forsupporting the table top 11. :Each leg is provided with a pair of spacedvertical holes 18 and 19 intermediate the ends of the legs. The legs 13are positioned with the upper of the holes 19 vertically aligned abovethe lower of the holes 18 of an adjacent leg at the points A, B, and C.

To provide for means connecting the legs 13a, 13b, and 1130 together atthe points A, B, and C intermediate their length, there is provided ateach of the points A, B, and C, a leg bolt 2t} extending upwardlythrough the lower hole 18 of one leg, for example, leg 13!), into theupper hole 1% of leg 13a. In order to conceal the head of the bolt '20and to provide a flat surface for the head to bear against, the hole 18may have a downwardly extending counterbore 21. Moreover, in order tosecure the legs together, the bolt 20 is provided with a chromeplatedcylindrical nut 22 closed at its upper end by a conically shaped endsection 22a and interally threaded along its axis to receive the bolt20. In order to provide a neat appearing joint between the legs, and toprovide a flat surface for the cylindrical nut 22 to bear against, thehole 19 may be provided with a downwardly extending counterbore 23 toreceive the nut 2'2.

In order to provide a bearing surface for the legs 13a, 13b, and 130, attheir joints at A, B, and C, there is provided a spherical washer 24positioned on the bolt 20 between the legs 13a, 13b, and 13c at thepoints A, B, and C.

It will be appreciated that the furniture supporting structure 12 setout in FIGS. 1 to 4, may be economically manufactured and assembled andthe legs 13a, 13b, and 13c may be used in various combinations withdifferent dimensioned legs with variously shaped table tops, or turnedupside down. One such embodiment utilizing legs identical to that of theembodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4 is illustrated in FIG. 5. As thereinillustrated, there is provided a table 30 having a generally rectangulartable top 31 resting on the upper end of a supporting leg structure 32.The leg structure 32 includes a plurality of legs 13 identical withthose heretofore described in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4 andinterwoven and stacked, each leg 13 being joined at two intermediatepoints by bolts '20 provided with hexagonal nuts countersunk into therespective legs in the counterbores 23 thereof. The counterbores 23 arefilled with wood putty or similar material 34 and the legs 13 arefinished as by varnishing, without visible exposure of the nuts 33.

The legs 13 may be jointed in a plurality of difierent manners in orderto provide differently shaped furniture. In FIG. 6 there is illustrateda table 40 having a table top 41 resting on the upper ends of asupporting leg structure 42. The leg structure 42 includes a pluralityof supporting legs 43 geometrically similar to the legs 13 heretoforedescribed, but diifering therefrom in that a pair of vertically alignedconnecting holes 44 and 45 therethrough provided at two intermediatelyspaced points on the respective legs 43 are formed at a diiferent anglethan in the legs 13. Consequently, the legs 43 are interwoven or stackedat a different angle than the legs 13 when secured together by the bolts20 threaded into the cylin drical nuts 22. The spherical washers 24serve to provide bearing surfaces between the respective legs 43 attheir connections. The different in angular positioning of the joiningholes in the legs 40, changing the angle of stacking of the legs 43,alters the height of the table 40 as compared to that in the heretoforedescribed embodiments; for example, in one set of tables made inaccordance with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4 and 5, the tables were 15/2 inches high whereas tables made in accordance with the angularpositioning of the stacked legs 43, as illustrated in FIG. 6, were 22inches high. The difference in the stacking angle of the legs 43 and thelegs 13 additionally requires the ends of the legs 43 and 13 to be outat different angles so as to provide flat ends on the legs.

It will be seen that murniture resting on the supporting leg structureof the present invention will be geometrically stable, strong, andeconomically manufactured and assembled. Moreover, one or morediflFerently designed legs permit numerous combinations of leg and legand table assemblies so that the stocking of various size and shapedlegs may be minimized.

Although certain preferred embodiments of the invention have beendescribed by Way of illustration, many modifications will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is intended therefore in the appended claims tocover all such modifications as fall Within the true spirit and scope ofthis invention.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. Supporting structure for a table top or the like comprising threeidentical leg members, each leg member having its maximum width at anintermediate portion and tapering toward each end from said point ofmaximum width, each leg member when in supporting position having itslongitudinal axis disposed at an acute angle with the horizontal, meansdefining a first vertically disposed opening in each leg membersubstantially at its point of maximum width, means defining a secondopening in each leg parallel with said first opening and disposedbetween said point of maximum width and said lower end, means forsecuring said legs together in supporting position comprising threefastening means each passing through a dilferent first opening in oneleg and a diiferent second opening in another leg, and a sphericalWasher interposed between adjacent ends of aligned first and secondopenings and clamped between two, associated legs by one of saidfastening means to insure a rigid supporting structure.

2. Supporting structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of saidfastening means includes a bolt having a head and a nut, said head beingcountersunk into one of said legs at said second opening and said nutbeing countersunk at least partially into another of said legs at saidfirst opening.

3. Supporting structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein said nut is ofcylindrical shape with an upper comically shaped closed end and providedwith axially extending threads adapted to cooperate with a threadedportion of said bolt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,661,968 Kolbe Dec. 8, 1953 2,815,998 Jones et al. Dec. 10, 19572,932,479 Leach Apr. 12, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 535,006 Italy Feb. 17,1954

1. SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR A TABLE TOP OR THE LIKE COMPRISING THREEIDENTICAL LEG MEMBERS, EACH LEG MEMBER HAVING ITS MAXIMUM WIDTH AT ANINTERMEDIATE PORTION AND TAPERING TOWARD EACH END FROM SAID PIONT OFMAXIMUM WIDTH, EACH LEG MEMBER WHEN IN SUPPORTING POSITION HAVING ITSLONGITUDINAL AXIS DISPOSED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH THE HORIZONTAL, MEANSDEFINING A FIRST VERTICALLY DISPOSED OPENING IN EACH LEG MEMBERSUBSTANTIALLY AT ITS POINT OF MAXIMUM WIDTH, MEANS DEFINING A SECONDOPENING IN EACH LEG PARALLEL WITH SAID FIRST OPENING AND DISPOSEDBETWEEN SAID POINT OF MAXIMUM WIDTH AND SAID LOWER END, MEANS FORSECURING SAID LEGS TOGETHER IN SUPPORTING POSITION COMPRISING THREEFASTENING MEANS EACH PASSING THROUGH A DIFFERENT FIRST OPENING IN ONELEG AND A DIFFERENT SECOND OPENING IN ANOTHER LEG, AND A SPHERICALWASHER INTERPOSED BETWEEN ADJACENT ENDS OF ALIGNED FIRST AND SECONDOPENINGS AND CLAMPED BETWEEN TWO ASSOCIATED LEGS BY ONE OF SAIDFASTENING MEANS TO INSURE A RIGID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE.